Disproportionately Hopped - James Morton

[Dellboy78lfc]

I’ve heard good things about this beer on the forum so thought I’d try it. It’s only the second recipe I’ve tried from James Mortons ‘Brew’ but I’ve noticed with both of them the IBU calculations are a world apart from what Brewfather calculates when you add the recipe. The hopstand additions are what bumps this recipe up, with Morton suggesting that you can add as many hops as you like below 79°C and leave them in as long as you like without imparting any extra bitterness. As a result what is supposed to be a 40IBU beer is coming out at over 90IBUs (with a 75° hopstand set). Using Brewfathers ‘IBU’ button to adjust the hop quantities to get the desired IBU is literally halving all my hop additions, which I don’t want to do. It’s supposed to be a hoppy beer! I’m going to just go with what the book says and see what happens. I just wondered what other people’s thoughts and/or experience was with this recipe? Thanks.

 

[Galena]

Well I have learnt something there, I didn't know about the IBU button. It looks useful but when I tried the FG button to increase the FG all it does is move the ABV and the FG without it seems adjusting any ingredients so not sure how that works. Sorry I can't help you with the recipe, which is illegible by the way, you need a larger image if anyone is to read it.

 

[AdeDunn]

That's down to how software calculates IBUs. Different software adds zero or very low IBUs below 80 degrees C.

 

[Uist Brewer]

What Morton's doing here is steeping plenty of Amarillo, Centennial and Mosaic in the wort to add aroma - if you add hops to your wort at below 79C, it adds no bitterness to the beer, only aroma (the hops don't isomerise at these temperatures). Don't forget to stick your (sterilised) lid back on your kettle - you want to keep all that aromas circulating around the wort for the length of time you steep.